Music Therapy

Bachelor of Music
Study the impact of melody, harmony, and rhythm on children and adults.

Music therapy is the clinical and evidence-based use of music interventions to accomplish individualized goals within a therapeutic relationship. Board-certified music therapists (MT-BCs) work in medical, psychiatric, and educational settings to help clients improve psychological and physiological functioning. Your clinical training will include a board-certified music therapist as a supervisor at every session throughout your four years. You will get experience conducting sessions in community health care and education settings and in our state-of-the-art Music Therapy Clinic, plus benefit from Nazareth's strong School of Music.

Course curriculum • Student outcomes • Cost of attendance

student singing and playing guitar for three children
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Receive four years of music lessons and you can perform in recitals and with multiple ensembles

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Gain clinical skills in the York Wellness and Rehabilitation Institute on campus.

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Study abroad options in South America, Europe, and Africa.

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Learn piano, guitar, and percussion, along with your primary instrument

music therapy class playing percussion instruments
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student teaching child to play drums

Career Paths

  • School music therapist
  • Gerontology specialist
  • Mental health clinician
  • Medical music therapist
Example internships
  • Strong Memorial Hospital
  • Hospice Buffalo
  • The Wildwood School, VA
Employers
  • Golisano Children’s Hospital at Strong Memorial Hospital
  • West Palm Beach Hospice
  • Saint Barnabas Medical Center, NJ
  • Giant Steps Autism Treatment, CT

70+

study abroad options to enrich your experience, including Austria, Italy, or Sweden

550-seat

Glazer Music Performance Center: state-of-the-art building designed to provide excellent acoustics for large instrumental and vocal ensembles

MT-BC

gain eligibility to sit for a national certification exam for a board certification credential (MT-BC)

Music Therapy at Naz

How to Audition

Auditions are required for this major. View audition details and register.

Professional Licensure Disclosure

The bachelor of music in music therapy, the equivalency certificate in music therapy, and the equivalency and master of science in music therapy fulfill the educational requirements necessary to apply for Board Certification as a Music Therapist (MT-BC) through the Certification Board for Music Therapists. Graduates who complete all educational requirements are eligible for the MT-BC examination. The Certification Board for Music Therapists is the authority on application requirements and processes. Applicants must pass the exam to obtain the MT-BC credential.

Board Certification for Music Therapists is required in some states for licensure, state certification, or state registries. Please see the Certification Board's State License Website for links to individual states with licensure, state certification, or state registries. Links to states with requirements for music therapy licensure, state certification, or state registries and the application information are provided by CBMT. Music therapy licenses are managed at state level and may include requirements beyond the MT-BC, including but not limited to background checks and application fees.

For questions regarding the undergraduate program, please contact Laurie Keough, M.S.Ed, LCAT, MT-BC at lkeough7@naz.edu

Meets educational requirements:
California, Connecticut, Georgia, Illinois, Iowa, Maryland, Mississippi, Nevada, New Jersey, New York, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, Rhode Island, Tennessee, Utah, Virginia, Washington, and Wisconsin.

These states do not have licensure, state certification, or state registries:

Alabama, Alaska, Arizona, Arkansas, Colorado, Delaware, Florida, Hawaii, Idaho, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maine, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, New Hampshire, New Mexico, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, South Dakota, Texas, Vermont, West Virginia, and Wyoming. Likewise for the District of Columbia and U.S. territories American Samoa, Guam, Northern Mariana Islands, Puerto Rico, and the U.S. Virgin Islands.

FAQs

Job prospects, interview prep, & more: See answers to frequently asked questions.

Olivia Todd, alumna of music therapy major, music therapy degree program at Nazareth University

Alumni Spotlight

“The music therapy program at Nazareth is strong for so many reasons, but if I had to choose a couple, it would be the professors and the York Wellness and Rehabilitation Institute! The professors are passionate about their profession and their students' success and well-being. The YWRI provides valuable in-person experience and exposure to other therapies.”

— Olivia Todd ‘22, a music therapist at the Huntsman Mental Health Institute at University of Utah Health